Enemies: A Love Story
by Elizabeth Maxwell
Summary: Set before the invasion. A Great Leader has been overthrown, and his daughter is to be included in the spoils of war. Two main characters are Brian's parents.


ENEMIES--A LOVE STORY

Please keep in mind that there is much we do not know about the Enemy. The only things that I see as canon are "V: The Original," "V: The Final Battle," and "V: The Series."

Think back to a time when the planet known to us as Sirius IV was a relatively open and loose society. This is an account of how it all changed.

"That's a dangerous plan, Xn'Dryx," Cr'Tios admitted. "What I find fascinating is that you really think you can pull it off." Cr'Tios shook his head. "If I say yes, what do I get in the end?"

Xn'Dryx smiled. "Ah, Cr'Tios, that you will have power is a given. But I will give you more, much more…I will give you anything you want."

"Really?" Cr'Tios laughed. "Anything?"

"Yes, Cr'Tios," Xn'Dryx replied seriously, "anything."

Cr'Tios sighed. "I think this is a foolhardy move, Xn'Dryx, I really do…"

"…But…?"

"But since your father was my wantu, I feel a certain obligation to you. So, yes, count me in."

"Excellent, I'm so happy that you chose wisely, Cr'Tios," Xn'Dryx revealed. "Had you refused, I would have been most displeased. You, Cr'Tios, you are the rock on which I will build my empire. And you will have a very powerful position in my realm, I promise you that."

"Yes, and I will hold you to those promises, Xn'Dryx," Cr'Tios warned, "of that you can be sure."

Bri'Na knew she was dreaming. Really she did. Yet, the dream was such a good one that she forgot for just a moment that it was not reality. A beautiful male Sullam Voean towered over her. His crest touched hers. Their bodies, resplendent with dark green scales, rubbed together. It was pure ecstasy. Their mouths met.

"I love you," he said.

And oh did Bri'Na love him, this nameless Sullam Voean of her dreams. Just as she began to voice the words, reality invaded. The dream ended, and she awoke.

She sighed, opening her eyes, reclining on her rock, uneager to leave the sanctity of her own space, languishing in her memories.

"Bri'Na!" a voice called. "Bri'Na!" It was her father.

"Coming!"

Just like that, her reverie was broken. Hurriedly, she arose, donned her favorite red robe, and ran to meet her father.

Her mother had died the previous cycle of a mysterious virus that had run rampant throughout Sullam Voe. The virus did not distinguish between young or old, rich or poor, noble or commoner. Her mother, so beautiful, consort of the Great Leader, died in a camp in the outer regions. Because the uninfected could not risk infection, the authorities decided to round up the sick and transport them far away from the healthy. Unfortunately, such a decision had been arranged long before T'Ra had fallen ill with the virus. As wife of the Great Leader, a position that sometimes put her on display, T'Ra was thus unable to hide her condition. Odd how the all-powerful Great Leader had been rendered powerless in the fight to save his wife.

"Yes, Father?" Bri'Na asked, quietly standing in the doorway.

Lu'rak looked up and smiled. "Ah, Bri'Na, come in, my dear."

She walked over to him and wondered if he was leaving. Lu'rak wore the red uniform of the Sullam Voe military, of which he was the head.

"Father, are you going somewhere soon?"

Lu'rak sighed. "I am afraid so, but I shouldn't be long… There is an… unpleasant situation… that I must look into, Bri'Na…"

"What, Father? I want to know."

He shook his head, thinking the less she knew the better, and hoping he could always shield her from all the bad things the world had to offer. Fleetingly, he remembered his wife. He had failed her; he could not, would not, fail Bri'Na. "Come, Bri'Na, give your wansu (father) a hug before he has to meet his transport."

Dutifully, Bri'Na approached him and hugged her father. He held her tightly and closed his eyes. However, Lu'rak could not block out the inevitable. "I love you, Bri'Na, you do know that, don't you?"

"Of course, Father… I love you, too."

That was enough then. For her, he would fight. The truth was that he was tired of it all. He felt so old. Letting her go, he stepped back. "I must say good-bye now, Bri'Na. You will be in good hands and well-protected, as always."

She kissed his cheek. "Good-bye, Father. Go with Zon."

He smiled at her. Zon help him… There was to be a coup…

Cr'Tios and Xn'Dryx entered the chamber. Silently, the two males from Sullam Voe seated themselves on rocks. Xn'Dryx took the rock at the head of the table, while Cr'Tios occupied the seat to his right. Expectant, young faces looked on.

"Greeting, my comrades in arms," Xn'Dryx offered. He trusted these men; they fought together in the Fleet. They were brothers. "What we are about to reveal to you cannot and will not leave this room, do you understand?"

The twelve nodded in agreement. Xn'Dryx nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Within the last two years, we have all watched, helpless, as our Great Leader has confused victory with diplomacy. We have watched as our Great Leader has sullied the name of the Sullam Voe. We have watched as our Great Leader has given in time and again to the demands of the Enemy. We have watched as our Great Leader has destroyed our nation with negotiation. We have watched as our Great Leader has refused to give the Enemy a fight. I know that I cannot speak for all of you, but I, for one, am tired…so tired of it all. I refuse to allow this to continue. We must take a stand, comrades. The Enemy in Ishta Vay has set fire--yes, fire!--to our towns in the outer regions. The Enemy has found a powerful ally in the Yus'rste, of a neighboring star, once our friends. The Enemy has taken citizens of Sullam Voe as prisoners. Yes, prisoners! It is an outrage, I tell you, an offense to ALL who are of Sullam Voe!"

He stopped for a moment, looking at each in turn. "Our Great Leader calls himself a peaceful man. Instead of turning to his advisers, what does he do? He seeks the counsel of men of Zon! He listens to religious men who know nothing of combat, of warfare, of military knowledge! That is an outrage!"

"Ah, but that is not the worst. Oh no… He thinks the Sullam Voe and the Ishta Vay should put their differences aside and live in peace. Peace!" Xn'Dryx laughed at the idea. "He wants us to all be friends… But we are soldiers all, and I ask you: what is peace? Is it this? Is it fear of the Enemy? I say to you that there can be no peace! We must fight!"

He stood. "The people want war. Our Great Leader ignores them, his own people! The Great Leader would rather coddle the Enemy. An Enemy who, might I remind you, is very deadly. Diseases and viruses that have destroyed the Sullam Voe were sent here by the Enemy. Make so mistake. Our satellites recently indicated that the Enemy now has a new toy. Cr'Tios, if you will?"

Cr'Tios nodded, pushed a button under the table, and a screen appeared on the wall. "This, intercepted intelligence shows, is the Particle Beam Triax. Watch what it can do… The Enemy used this in one of its colonies. An entire square mile…bang!…and no nuclear fallout… How long before they use it on one of our cities, comrades?"

The men gasped.

"My comrades, we are the New Regime. Are you with me? Will the House of Raman restore Sullam Voe to its proper glory?"

Cr'Tios secretly watched the faces of his warrior friends. The young warriors sat transfixed. Xn'Dryx had them all in the palm of his paw, and he knew it.

J'Sph spoke first. "It is time for a change… Yes, I am with you, Xn'Dryx."

Just like that, one by one, the others consented to the plan. Cr'Tios was not surprised. They would have done anything for Xn'Dryx--anything… As would Cr'Tios. Xn'Dryx knew this too. The New Regime filed out of the room with purpose. A coup sounded like music to their auditory organs.

Lu'rak waited as two of his most trusted allies made their way onto his personal shuttle. Men of Zon, the two would have given their lives for the Great Leader. A'mon and J'Keb sat across from Lu'rak. They were clad in white robes with hair shirts underneath. Lu'rak did not know how they stood it; their piety must be strong.

"A'mon, J'Keb, I'm afraid we have no time for pleasantries. Grave times are ahead." Lu'rak sighed.

A'mon nodded, "So I hear."

"It's such a shame, Lu'rak," J'Keb offered, shaking his crest vigorously. "These hotheads know nothing of leadership. They only think they know war, yet they are about to start a war like they have never seen. Once the conflagration begins, how will we stop it?"

"I am afraid no one, no one, will be able to put out the fires once Xn'Dryx attacks," worried Lu'rak. "It will set off a chain reaction, and the Enemy will attack us because they will see us as weak… which we will be." He did not have to hide his emotions from his friends. Lu'rak put his head in his hands. "It's going to be a bloody affair, and I do not know how it will end."

A'mon said, "We know how Xn'Dryx feels about Zon. His mother died because, he says, she believed her faith in Zon would cure her. Of course, he was only a child, but he has since denounced the Faith. He has made no secret of the fact that he hates us priests and all males and females of Zon. It will not be simply a bloody affair, Lu'rak. It will be a bloodbath; Sullam Voe will never recover."

J'Keb coughed. "Our pacifism will ruin us, Lu'rak. Perhaps we should call out the troops and attack them before they attack us."

"No, J'Keb. That goes against Zon. I'm old and tired, and I really feel my time as Leader is over. The people want a new generation to rule, and Zon help them. That's just what they're going to get. Be careful what you wish for, eh, A'mon?"

A'mon laughed bitterly. "Where did we go wrong? What could we have done?"

"Nothing," Lu'rak answered with such certainty. "We were right--we are right. A civil war in Sullam Voe will lead to open war with the Enemy. I fear they are more powerful than we are, especially with the new weapon I've heard about. I have been attempting to appease them, to work with them, to begin peaceful relations. But everyone said that was weak of me. Xn'Dryx was the loudest of all in his protests. The Enemy will try to annihilate us, and if they do not, they will kill so many while trying. They will use every weapon at their disposal. We will feel the effects of this conflict for decades--decades. Sullam Voeans will die. Their weapons will wreak havoc on us, on our economy, on our lives, on our very natures."

Lu'rak looked out of his window as they descended. Crowds of Sullam Voeans demonstrated beneath, with signs and jeers. "The people do not want peace anymore; they want war. They love Xn'Dryx because they know he will grant their wish."

The three exchanged solemn looks. The end of an era had begun.

Xn'Dryx, Cr'Tios, and their twelve comrades organized efforts so that the army units under their command struck at the same time. It was thus a coordinated effort and quite effective. Bri'Na heard little or nothing from her father before or after the attack. In fact, she relied on news reports to tell her what had happened. One month had passed since her father said good-bye.

Bri'Na used her voice to turn on the virtual telecommunication projector. "VT, on." An instant later, a virtual image of a Sullam Voe newscaster leapt out of nothingness to appear in the room.

"Xn'Dryx and his followers began their coup by capturing the Senate, purging the body of those loyal to the Great Leader." Scenes followed that showed males and females beaten and bloody and being taken away from the Senate. "The Army's twelve generals refused the Leader's orders to march against Xn'Dryx. In fact, all twelve generals instead broke their oaths of fealty and homage to the Leader and swore new oaths to Xn'Dryx and his New Regime. As for those in the Army's rank and file, many followed their superiors; others are absent without leave for returning to their homes… As one foot soldier told our reporter K'Te, 'I have a family to care for, a home to defend. This is not my fight. I just want to protect my loved ones.' That, of course, is understandable considering the havoc Xn'Dryx and his supporters have wreaked onto the capital and surrounding areas. Reports say the capital will fall to the rebels in a matter of days, maybe even hours…"

Bri'Na's eyes filled with tears. Quickly, she switched to another station.

"…Exclusive interview with Retired General P'Tn, who had this to say about Xn'Dryx… 'He was my student for three years until I dismissed him for his arrogance, disobedience, petulance, and his unwillingness… No, more than that. He is dangerous. Even then, he had ideas like you would not believe… I fear for us, if he is not stopped…"

She pushed another button.

"It is said that the man behind Xn'Dryx is this man--Cr'Tios." His image jumped into the room. "Just as cold as Xn'Dryx, yet he is supposed to have a heart. If his previous war deeds tell us anything, it is doubtful he possesses anything…"

Bri'Na turned it off. "Zon, please help my father…and Sullam Voe." Shouts from below interrupted her.

A guard rushed into the room. "Forgive me, miss! Forgive me!"

"Yes, what is it?"

"The rebels have taken the capital! The city's in flames! More and more of our own are deserting and joining the rebellion!"

"And my father?"

He hung his head. "I'm sorry, miss. I don't know…"

"Will he come home?"

"Miss, I do not know."

"What about our Mother Ships?"

"Miss, the twelve mother ships are commanded by the generals, and all the generals are now with Xn'Dryx. They are no good to us now."

"Will the rebels try to attack here?"

"I do not--"

"No! Give me your opinion: will they come here?"

He nodded. "I am afraid so, but not before the New Regime captures more of the loyalist cities. Mus'cat is taken. Only four cities separate us…"

"And my father has no real Army… May Zon help us." She turned to leave, but the guard stopped her.

"Miss…"

"Yes?"

He took a deep breath.

"Tell me!"

"Miss, the troops…at our garrison. About three-fourths of them left."

"What! But they're our protection. We need them!"

The guard shook his head sadly. "They have families, miss, and they want to be with them…should anything happen."

"We're nothing but sitting ducks out here!" shouted a frustrated Bri'Na. "And what's worse--there's nothing to be done about it either."

Cr'Tios and J'Sph held siege to the city of Ty're. Residents here proclaimed loyalty to the Great Leader and now they began to try Cr'Tios's patience.

"Damn them!" the warrior yelled to all those who would listen. "Don't they know that resistance is futile?"

J'Sph was a little taken aback by the bloodlust that gleamed in Cr'Tios's eyes. The citizens of Ty're were in for a long night.

"J'Sph, have them bring in the ord'nrval," commanded Cr'Tios.

Within minutes, a large monstrosity of a machine made its way to the walls of Ty're. Much like the catapult of old, the ord'nrval's purpose was to send balls of fire over the high walls of fortified cities. It was very effective and often caused the people in the towns to panic. Panic among the townspeople was exactly what Cr'Tios wanted.

"Fire on my command!"

"Fire!"

The soldiers launched balls of fire over the gates and into the walled city. Screams and cries of anguish made their way over the walls. The smell of death filled the night air. Cr'Tios smiled. Another machine approached the gate. This was the pur'shnavu, a large cylindrical instrument, made of special alloys available in the mountains. Twenty men each had two handholds, and, given a great heave-ho, they pushed through heavy gates.

"On my command, break through!"

"Go!"

It did not take long for the gate to crumble and even less time for Cr'Tios, J'Sph, and the troops to slaughter any who did not surrender. Ty're was on fire, and this only exacerbated the stench of rotting flesh and of great loss. Cr'Tios breathed it in. By morning, the city was Loyalist no longer.

Covered in blood from fighting, Cr'Tios threw his head back and shouted, "Victory!"

Unhappy, Lu'rak browsed through field notes. "Things do not look good."

A'mon shook his head. "No, we've lost, Lu'rak. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, A'mon, I do know."

At that moment, Lu'rak's assistant, Zr'tu, rushed into the room. "Forgive me, My Leader, but the rebels have taken Up'gur!"

Lu'rak and A'mon both stood.

"They're headed for the palace," A'mon said with trepidation.

"Bri'Na…Prepare a shuttle. I hope we aren't too late."

Xn'Dryx was also on his way to the Great Palace of the Leader with reinforcements, yet both he and Lu'rak were to miss all the excitement. Cr'Tios was determined to take the Palace as the bastion signified the base of power of Lu'rak. If the Palace fell, then truly the old regime would be over. The House of Zon would have to relinquish power to the House of Raman.

Xn'Dryx and Cr'Tios had discussed such a strategy earlier, and Cr'Tios felt confident that he could do the job. Cr'Tios signaled for the troops to stop about a mile from the Great Palace. Its flag still flew above the parapets yet Cr'Tios doubted the full garrison was in occupation, not with the stories he had heard lately of deserters.

"J'Sph?"

"Yes, Cr'Tios?"

"We need to know how many troops protect the Palace, what its weaknesses are, if there are any breaks in the line. You're the only one I trust to do this, J'Sph."

J'Sph nodded. "I understand, and will report my findings back to you as soon as possible."

Sometime later, J'Sph returned. "There are about sixty troops left at the garrison. The men are weak, inattentive, and tired. Thus, they are incompetent warriors. We take out the lookouts posted at the first tower, then the first wall is small enough to scale. If we're quick and quiet, we can get inside without causing a commotion and immediately we'll have the advantage. I'd say there is only a handful of troops in the Palace itself."

Cr'Tios was pleased. "Good work."

And so they waited…Waited…Waited until darkness cloaked them. Cr'Tios then gave the order to advance. Forward, forward, forward they went.

Upon reaching the defenses, which consisted of the garrison, Cr'Tios observed, "J'Sph and I will take out the lookouts. Once I give you the go-ahead, begin preparations to scale the wall. Is that understood?"

The soldiers near him nodded vigorously and heartily agreed with the plan. Cr'Tios and J'Sph stealthily proceeded to the first tower. Three men were stationed as lookouts. Neither dared to make a sound. Instead, Cr'Tios motioned to J'Sph that he would destroy the two facing the back while J'Sph was to take the other. J'Sph nodded.

In mere seconds, it was over. Cr'Tios, already a legend, took out his two at once while J'Sph dispensed of his prey. Through the darkness, J'Sph saw Cr'Tios smile. As promised, Cr'Tios used the cry of the cran'op to signal the others. With that, the warriors began to scale the wall. It did not take long until thirty troops were on the ground and ready to take on the garrison.

Sleep eluded Bri'Na. She paced her room again and again, impatient and irritable. Then, she decided to watch the latest news reports. Mind made up, she headed downstairs.

However, her guard was running up the stairs. Breathless, he said, "Miss, the outer defenses have broken! They've taken the garrison! Now they're trying to break through the inner wall!"

Bri'Na just blinked.

"Miss," the guard begged, "please return to your room and bar the door."

"No, I cannot do that. I am not a coward!"

"Begging your pardon, miss, but we have sworn to protect you. But you must let us do our job. There are only a few of us left inside. In your room, you're safe, miss. Please, miss…"

"Yes, yes! I'm going!" She reversed direction and returned to her bedroom. Bri'Na barred the door and then she retrieved something from under her sleeping rock. Bri'Na smiled. If they killed her, she would die fighting…

Cr'Tios was extremely pleased. The first defenses of the Palace had fallen. He expected that it was only a matter of minutes before the inner defenses were breached. Suddenly, he heard a cry and then a roar as the inner wall gave way.

"Men," came the thunder of Cr'Tios' voice, "do not harm the child. She is our bargaining chip. All the others you may kill. Go!"

On his orders, the solders branched out in all directions, helter-skelter. Cr'Tios, however, chose the more direct route--through the front entrance. Even though he was a warrior, and a blood-spattered one at that, Cr'Tios took notice of the beauty around him. Sullam Voean art hung on the walls, Zonist artifacts, opulent furnishings, green plants. Although Cr'Tios bore no ill will whatsoever toward Lu'rak for having such fine things, he instinctively knew that Xn'Dryx would scoff at his surroundings. Xn'Dryx preferred to live sparingly.

Making his way to the staircase, Cr'Tios ascended the steps. He looked up just in time to see a guard rushing to attack him. The guard practically threw himself at Cr'Tios, but not before Cr'Tios withdrew his sword and cut off the soldier's head. In combat, one had to be quick. War was deadly; one could either kill or be killed, as Cr'Tios knew only too well. Thus, Cr'Tios chose to kill. He fully expected another soldier to be following close on the heels of the guard.

Yet, as Cr'Tios reached the top of the stairs, all was quiet. Deceptively so. He was trained to notice such things. It was too quiet, and he was right. Another soldier had been hiding behind a tapestry. With as little noise as possible, the guard, sword in hand, crept up behind Cr'Tios. However, it has been said that Cr'Tios had eyes in the back of his crest. Indeed, Cr'Tios turned just in time to avoid the blow.

The two warriors prepared to clash blades. The guard thrust; Cr'Tios countered. Cocky, the guard thought he the better skilled of the two. Cr'Tios allowed the soldier this false belief. After all, it worked to his advantage. The guard was smiling, zoning in for the kill. Cr'Tios knew the time had come for him to make his move. Cr'Tios held the sword in his right paw, but he was left-pawed. He switched, and then Cr'Tios smiled. The look on the guard's face was utterly priceless. He knew he had been bested, even before he felt the blow. One blow from Cr'Tios was all it took, and the battle was over.

Quietly and carefully, Cr'Tios continued down the corridor. He heard sounds from below of carnage and bloodshed. These were the sounds of victory. The presence of more guards upstairs was highly unlikely, given the layout of the palace. Many doors dotted the elegant hallway. Each door might contain the child of Lu'rak. Cr'Tios had no way of knowing which door was the correct one. There was always the possibility that some kind of secret passageway or tunnel existed as a means of escape. He kept this in the back of his mind as he walked. Click…click…click…pause… Click…click…pause… Click…pause.

Bri'Na wondered why the enemy in the hallway proceeded the way he did. 'Is he listening for me?' she asked herself. She decided he was doing exactly that. Impatiently she waited. It was a given that he would find her.

'And then what?' But that was a question she dared not spend too much time thinking of. Her imagination ran overtime with different scenarios of her fate. None were very nice thoughts.

Click…click…click…pause…

He was much closer now and closing in on her. He stopped.

Click…click…click…click…click…in the other direction.

He was leaving! 'Why?' Bri'Na strained to hear more.

Click…click…click…fainter and fainter and fainter.

It was true. He was going downstairs. Bri'Na waited until she heard him no more and then she waited sometime after that. She waited until she was certain the hallway was deserted. She waited until she was certain she would be safe. She would make her escape…

Cr'Tios even impressed himself. He had made it seem as if he were leaving to return downstairs to his troops. Instead, he hid behind the same tapestry occupied earlier by his now-deceased opponent. The cloth concealed him well. In time and with a little luck, Cr'Tios expected the child to emerge. By providing the child with a false sense of security, she would feel comfortable enough to materialize from her hiding place.

The wait was worth it, for the child soon appeared. First, Cr'Tios heard the muffles of furniture being moved. He almost laughed out loud. 'Probably only the furniture of a child.' He shook his head. Next, he heard the sound of a heavy door opening. He could almost picture the child's actions. Peering out of the door from one direction to the other in the corridor, listening intently for any sign of movement, debating whether or not to place one foot outside the threshold. Taking small, unsure steps, making her way to the top of the stairs, wondering what was going on below. Cr'Tios knew the child would creep to the stairs and listen before she did anything else. If there was a passageway by which to escape,

Cr'Tios believed the girl would inquire as to the state of things below before she ran away. He was counting on it. Her soft footsteps slowly approached. He could hear her breathing. It was not until he saw her shadow pass by on the floor that Cr'Tios revealed himself.

In one fluid motion, he lifted the cloth and gasped. This was no child, but a woman, and a very beautiful one. Perhaps also a deadly one, for she held a sword of her own.

"Who are you?" Cr'Tios asked, his sword in hand.

"I am Bri'Na, daughter of Lu'rak and T'Ra, of the House of Zon," she proudly stated. "And who are you?"

"Cr'Tios, son of Urq'rian and Ry'sa, of the House of Raman."

"You! The 'Great Warrior'--Ha! You are a cruel warmonger!"

"Ah, that I am, and I do admit it…Now, little girl, you must surrender."

"Surrender! You forget who I am, Cr'Tios."

"Oh? Isn't surrendering what your father will soon do? Lu'rak the Coward?"

"How dare you!" Bri'Na, heedless of the consequences, moved to strike Cr'Tios. He countered.

"Little girls should not play with swords."

"Really? I have had years of lessons…" With that she began sword fighting with him. She matched him move for move.

"Hmm…Not bad for a little girl."

He thrust; she parried.

"I'm not a little girl."

Cr'Tios smiled. "No, you are not."

The battle waged on. Cr'Tios sensed Bri'na's tiredness. Sweat poured from her crest. Cr'Tios was having fun and was not tired at all. He could continue the contest for hours and hours. Her fatigue made Bri'Na sloppy and careless. Cr'Tios saw that and took advantage of it. His next blow struck her sword and it flew from Bri'Na's paw. She cried out and fell.

"No!"

"Yes, it is I who has bested you. I have won."

"I will not be your prisoner. I will kill myself, Cr'Tios. My father would wish it so."

Cr'Tios, angry, grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up. "You'll do nothing of the sort! You are not a coward, but the daughter of the Great Leader. Stand tall and act like it!"

As much as Bri'Na hated to admit it, Cr'Tios was right. Her father always said that he had done so many things because of her. She could not let down her father. She took a deep breath and maintained a stoic stance. Bri'Na nodded. "Alright."

"Excellent."

Suddenly, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, despite her protests. "It has to be this way, Bri'Na. The troops have to see who is victor and who has won the spoils."

"Am I considered part of the spoils?"

He did not answer.

When Lu'rak arrived at the gates of the Great Palace, he knew he was too late. The Palace, it was clear, was no longer his. It belonged now to Xn'Dryx, whose flag flew high atop the parapets. Xn'Dryx greeted him. It was a gentlemanly meeting.

"Lu'rak," Xn'Dryx said, deliberately addressing the other man by his given name, "so glad you could make it. Do come in."

"Xn'Dryx, where is my daughter?"

"Your daughter is well…Please follow me into my office."

"You mean my office?"

Xn'Dryx smiled. "I think we both know whose office it is now, Lu'rak. We are men of action who hold no fantasies."

Without comment, Lu'rak followed Xn'Dryx inside. The Palace had been plundered. Once they were both seated, Lu'rak began, "I want to see my daughter."

"And you will, soon…First, we must come to terms."

"You have beaten me, Xn'Dryx. You have won. What else do you want?"

"Why, everything, Lu'rak. I want you to give up your claim to lead. I want you to step down. I want you to step aside. I want you to retire to the colonies. I want to lead as Supreme Leader. That's what I want, Lu'rak."

"Fine, fine, just let me see my daughter."

Xn'Dryx nodded. "Of course. First, sign the necessary papers, and I will have her brought here."

Lu'rak hung his head.

Xn'Dryx hit a button and spoke, "Cr'Tios, have the girl brought here." Xn'Dryx watched as Lu'rak read through the papers and used his personal seal to sign them. The reins of power had passed from one man to another, from one House to another, from one generation to another.

After signing the last document, Lu'rak looked up. "It is done."

"Yes, it is."

The door opened and in walked Cr'Tios, along with Bri'Na. Lu'rak jumped up, and father and daughter reunited, hugging and exchanging greetings.

"You see, Lu'rak, your daughter is unharmed."

"Bri'Na, are you well?"

She smiled at her father. "Yes, Father, and you?"

He could not stop a tear forming at the corner of his eye. "Now I am, child."

Xn'Dryx spoke, "You both are free to go. Nothing is keeping you here. I will have a shuttle take you to the outer regions in the colonies where you shall live out your years in exile. Should you try to return or reclaim the throne, you will be killed. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand, Xn'Dryx."

"And you will henceforth address me as Supreme Leader. I want to hear it."

Lu'rak just stood there, staring. "Now…"

"I understand, Supreme Leader."

Xn'Dryx smiled. "Good."

Lu'rak and Bri'Na turned to go. Her eyes locked with those of Cr'Tios.

"Supreme Leader," Cr'Tios began, "I recall a promise you made me before we undertook this coup. Do you remember? Please wait," he said to Lu'rak and Bri'Na.

Xn'Dryx certainly liked his new address. In fact, he almost missed the question because he was reveling in the power he felt. It ran through his veins like blood. "Yes, I recall something--"

"The Supreme Leader promised me anything at all if I aided him in his struggle."

"Yes, I did."

"Well," Cr'Tios replied, looking at Bri'Na, "I want a wife."

Xn'Dryx looked confused. "Cr'Tios, this really is not the time nor the place--"

"The Supreme Leader does not understand…I will have her." Cr'Tios pointed to Bri'Na. "I will take Bri'Na as my mate."

Inside, Xn'Dryx was pleased.

"What!" shouted Lu'rak.

"No!" gasped Bri'Na.

"Cr'Tios, are you sure?"

"Yes, Supreme Leader, I am very sure."

"No, Father, I won't!"

"Easy, child, let me handle this…Xn'Dryx, this was never part of the plan. We have our agreement, and it has been signed and sealed. Everything is in order. I will give way no more."

The Supreme Leader paced for a minute, and this came to stand in front of Lu'rak. "It doesn't seem to me as if you are in a position to give orders, Lu'rak…at least not anymore. And there is the matter that I control the Palace now. I have many men here at my command. Where are your men, Lu'rak? Forgive me, but I do not see them."

"Damn you, Xn'Dryx! Damn you! You cannot take my daughter!"

"Lu'rak, focus now. It's Supreme Leader…Try to keep up."

"I do not care what your title is! You'll never be Supreme and you'll never take my daughter! Damn you!"

"Now, now, Lu'rak, you're old, don't overextend yourself." He looked at Bri'Na. "Well now, I guess it's all up to you, isn't it? You can stop all this, Bri'Na. So why don't you?"

Through her tears, "How? What can I do?"

"Merely say yes to his gentleman's proposal. If you do, I will give the two of you an estate, a very beautiful one. And I will make it so that you may visit your father and that he is exempt from the backbreaking work those in the outer regions are subjected to. I say that's a fair trade. Don't you?"

Bri'Na looked at her father, so small in his room that was once his. Today, he seemed older than he had in years. She knew that he would not survive work in the outer regions unless he received special treatment. Clearly, if she refused, he would die out there. Part of it would be her fault. It would just be her body she was giving up, after all. Cr'Tios would never have her heart.

She nodded, "Yes."

Cr'Tios spoke, "Yes--what?"

"Yes, I accept…I will be your wife…The wife of Cr'Tios."

Xn'Dryx clapped. "Excellent. The kozz'lot will commence on the morrow. Congratulations, Cr'Tios."

The two old friends clasped hands.

Lu'rak was totally defeated.

"Bri'Na, I will see that everything you need you receive," Cr'Tios replied. His soon-to-be bride did not meet his eyes. Nor did she speak to him. It was to be a battle of wills. Cr'Tios loved battles…

Bri'Na luxuriated in her ritual mud bath. Next she was to bathe with eels to insure her fertility. She shook her head. The House of Raman did have odd ceremonies indeed. No matter, the mud felt heavenly against her naked body. It was the first time she had been alone in days. It was no wonder that the presence of another startled her.

"You! What are you doing here?"

Cr'Tios took in her beauty…and her naked glory. "I wanted to see what I was getting into."

She was furious and grabbed a handful of mud and threw it in his face.

"I do love my women to be filled with fire."

"Oh!"

"Bri'Na, we need to talk. There are some things you must understand. I fear you have the wrong idea of me."

"I do not think so."

"You do not remember me, do you?"

"What?"

"It was about eight or so years ago…I was fresh out of the Academy and was assigned to protect your grandmother. I accompanied her to a trip to the capital and you visited her there…"

Bri'Na gasped, "I do remember…You took a bullet meant for the two of us…The Enemy…"

"Yes, I did. You see--I do not have a heart of stone as you think I do."

"She was so fond of you."

Cr'Tios nodded, "And I of her. You remind me of her actually. Like you, she was a spitfire. I was very sad when she died. You see, Bri'Na, the point is that I am capable of loving and of being loved. I want you to know that. I am fond of you, as well. What's more, Bri'Na, I admire you."

"Me? Whatever for?"

"For one so young, and a female at that," Cr'Tios grinned at the look she gave him, "I think you are very courageous. You're obviously highly intelligent with a keen wit about you. We match well, you and I. I do not want a timid creature as my mate. I will not raise cowardly, stupid hatchlings. I will have you."

"Cr'Tios, I do not know what to say…"

"Just accept me, despite the blood on my hands. Comfort me. Make everything all right. Make the pain go away…Bri'Na, love me, only love me."

"Oh, Cr'Tios, I shall try."

"That's all I can ask, Bri'Na."

He approached her, gathered her nude, mud-covered body in his arms, and hugged her. Their crests rubbed together, and he kissed her. When he pulled back, he retrieved something from a pocket.

"My father gave this to my mother on the day of their kozz'lot. I give it to you on this day."

She took it and opened it. It was a bracelet with the universal symbol for infinity engraved on the top.

"Oh, Cr'Tios, it's beautiful. Thank you. I shall wear it always."

And so two enemies were married. A Leader was ousted from power, and a Supreme Leader was born.

In a matter of weeks, the Enemy, upon hearing the news of the coup, would attack Sullam Voe, forcing the new Supreme Leader to send troops against them. Cr'Tios would be among them.

It would be a costly war, and one that would last for years. Cities would fall by the push of a button. Sullam Voe, when it was over, would be strong and yet weak beyond compare. The Enemy, although bested, would always be a thorn in the side of the Sullam Voeans.

Conditions were such that the Sullam Voe chose to visit other worlds for resources. Onward and onward they went, destroying worlds along the way…until one day…when they reached Earth…when the son of Bri'Na and Cr'Tios, grandson of Lu'rak, eyes bright, met a young human girl…

The rest is history…

The End.


End file.
